Tickets start at just $15 LEGENDARY LEGENDARY JUNE 6-8, 2025
The grind of engines, the spray of water, the record-breaking speeds – experience legendary boat racing on Lake Guntersville.
The grind of engines, the spray of water, the record-breaking speeds – experience legendary boat racing on Lake Guntersville.
Since 1939 those brave enough to challenge the natural elements have come to Alabama’s largest lake. To a place where racing is in the blood and winning means everything. Come watch.
The grind of engines, the spray of water, the record-breaking speeds – experience legendary boat racing on Lake Guntersville. Since 1939 those brave enough to challenge the natural elements have come to Alabama’s largest lake. To a place where racing is in the blood and winning means everything. Come watch.
The grind of engines, the spray of water, the record-breaking speeds – experience legendary boat racing on Lake Guntersville.
Since 1939 those brave enough to challenge the natural elements have come to Alabama’s largest lake. To a place where racing is in the blood and winning means everything. Come watch.
Tickets start at just $15 LEGENDARY LEGENDARY
The grind of engines, the spray of water, the record-breaking speeds – experience legendary boat racing on Lake Guntersville.
Since 1939 those brave enough to challenge the natural elements have come to Alabama’s largest lake. To a place where racing is in the blood and winning means everything. Come watch. Be part of the legend. Learn more:
Tickets start at just $15 LEGENDARY LEGENDARY
Since 1939 those brave enough to challenge the natural elements have come to Alabama’s largest lake. To a place where racing is in the blood and winning means everything. Come watch.
The grind of engines, the spray of water, the record-breaking speeds – experience legendary boat racing on Lake Guntersville. Since 1939 those brave enough to challenge the natural elements have come to Alabama’s largest lake. To a place where racing is in the blood and winning means everything. Come watch. Be part of the legend. Learn more:
Be part of the legend. Learn more:
Be part of the legend. Learn more:
Be part of the legend. Learn more:
Be part of the legend. Learn more:
Tickets start at just $15
Tickets start at just $15
Tickets start at just $15
JUNE 6-8, 2025
JUNE 6-8, 2025
JUNE 6-8, 2025
JUNE 6-8, 2025
JUNE 6-8, 2025
Manager Jon Cullimore
Co-op Editor Jeremy Wise
ALABAMA LIVING is delivered to some 450,000 Alabama families and businesses, which are members of 22 not-for-profit, consumer-owned, locally directed and taxpaying electric cooperatives. Subscriptions are $15 a year for individuals not subscribing through participating Alabama electric cooperatives. Alabama Living (USPS 029-920) is published monthly by the Alabama Rural Electric Association of Cooperatives. Periodicals postage paid at Montgomery, Alabama, and at additional mailing office.
For editorial inquiries, email: contact@alabamaliving.coop
NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE:
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1-800-626-1181
www.AMP.coop
www.alabamaliving.coop
Sauces, dips & dressings
A light strawberry balsamic vinaigrette dressing is a sweet-tangy complement for any summer fruit salad. We’ve got recipes for several delicious sauces, dips and dressings on our recipe pages this month.
FEATURES
6 Vacation-Bound?
Keep connected with Coosa Valley Technologies!
18
24
Fading lighthouse
The Sand Island Lighthouse off the coast of Dauphin Island is a victim of time, weather, and erosion.
Pollinator planning
With proper planning and planting, you can increase the number of pollinators in your garden.
USPS 029-920 • ISSN 1047-0311
Look for this logo to see more content online!
ON THE COVER
Manager’s Comments
Unity Cooperation is in Our Name
Over the past couple of months, I’ve attended several annual conferences put on by our power provider, our statewide association and our national association. While each has a different purpose and its own merits, I find them all extremely valuable.
What I find equally as valuable as what I learn in the sessions are the conversations we have between sessions and during the after-hours networking opportunities.
This year the idea of Unity has been discussed a great deal. While ideas such as this might get floated in conversations without having much virtue, Unity is something I regularly and continuously see demonstrated through the actions of the leadership and employees of electric cooperatives across our state and nation. And from my experiences with other industries, it is something rather unique to ours.
Over the past several issues of this magazine, I’ve discussed a couple of the principles that all cooperatives use to guide their actions and decisions. These are known simply as the Seven Cooperative Principles. One such principle is Cooperation Among Cooperatives, and it reinforces the unity I find so clearly and effortlessly demonstrated.
Why is this important to our company?
Similar to ours, most electric cooperatives are small organizations with limited resources, especially personnel. Cooperative employees rarely get the opportunity to specialize. They often wear multiple hats and take on responsibilities for which they have limited experience.
In typical cooperative spirit, however, I rarely see our employees accept new challenges with angst. Instead, they jump in with both feet and work to learn their new responsibilities and perform them to the best of their abilities.
But individual effort can only take a person so far. That’s where cooperation
among cooperatives and our unity become valuable. While no two cooperatives are the same, most face similar challenges and develop their own, unique solutions. Being able to reach out to leaders and employees at other cooperatives helps our people gather knowledge and benefit from their experiences.
That’s one benefit of our unity. Another is that unity provides strength in numbers.
I serve on the boards of our power provider as well as our statewide association. In our meetings we often find ourselves in difficult conversations trying to iron out solutions to the ever-changing sets of external circumstances and challenges we all must face. We do not always agree on everything, but we have very good leaders who understand that trying to meet these challenges alone would be much more difficult than facing them together. So, we work to find common ground and compromises that we can all live and work with.
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t fault organizations in other industries because they may lack the same kind of unity we enjoy. In most other industries, companies with similar missions are often in competition with each other. This competitive environment can be both a strength and a weakness.
Electric cooperatives on the other hand usually are not in competition with other electric utilities. In most states, service territories are defined by state law. There is little an electric utility can do to attract new customers. For our business model, this cooperation and unity are a great strength.
As a member of Coosa Valley Electric Cooperative, you benefit from the collective knowledge and experience of thousands of cooperative employees across the country. Thank you for the opportunity to provide you with reliable and affordable electric, propane, and broadband internet services.
CVEC is an equal opportunity employer and provider.
Jon Cullimore is general manager of Coosa Valley Electric Cooperative.
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Utilities Service
NONDISCRIMINATION STATEMENT
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, marital status, family/ parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the State or local Agency that administers the program or contact USDA through the Telecommunications Relay Service at 711 (voice and TTY). Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/generalinformation/staff-offices/office-assistant-secretary-civil-rights/ how-file-program-discrimination-complaint and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Mail Stop 9410
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.
From the Bylaws, Nominations for Election
Article IV, Section 5: All nominations for trustees shall be made by a petition signed by at least 50 qualified members of the Cooperative who reside in and receive service in the district for which such candidate for trustee is nominated. Signatures shall be in accordance with Article I, Section 2(b). Such petition shall be filed with the Secretary of the Board of Trustees at the main office of the Cooperative on or before the first day of July in the year the election for such trustee is to be held in order for such person nominated therein to be eligible for election as trustee if otherwise qualified under Article IV, Section 3-A. The qualifications of such candidate shall be considered and voted upon by the Board of Trustees prior to the district election. If such candidate or candidates so nominated shall not meet all the qualifications for such trustee, such person shall not be eligible to hold office. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to give immediate written notice to the candidate so nominated of such qualification or disqualification. The nominating petitions
shall be verified by the Secretary of the board as to membership and district residency. (Amended September 7, 2019)
Nominations made in any manner except as provided above shall not be considered at the district elections held for such purpose of electing trustees. Not shall any person, otherwise qualified be eligible to hold office as such trustee unless nominated in such manner. In the event only one person, otherwise qualified, is duly nominated as trustee for any district on or before the date set out above, and in the manner provided for above, such person shall be deemed elected as such trustee and shall commence to serve as such trustee as provided in Article III, Section 7 (5) at the next annual meeting of the members without the necessity of holding an election in the district concerned prior to the annual meeting of the members. (Amended September 7, 2019)
Expiring terms in Districts 1 and 7.
Memorial Day Closing: The offices of Coosa Valley Electric Cooperative will be closed May 26 in recognition of Memorial Day. If you need to make a payment during the holiday, you may do so online at coosavalleyec.com, via the CVEC Connect app, through any MoneyGram location (must have account number and receive code 13933), through the office drive-thru night-deposit box or via the office lobby kiosk. You may also use the automated menu at 800-273-7210 to make a payment.
S cho ol’s Out and Keep Connected with Coosa
By Kylie Mason Marketing Specialist
Summer is here, and families across Alabama are gearing up for vacations, road trips, and long weekends at the lake.
Whether you’re heading to the Gulf Coast, escaping to the mountains, or planning a simple staycation, staying connected has never been more important. At Coosa Valley Technologies, we’re proud to provide the highspeed internet that makes travel planning easier, keeps your home secure while you’re away, and ensures you stay connected — no matter where your summer adventures take you.
Before leaving for vacation, peace of mind starts at home. With smart home technology powered by Coosa Valley Technologies, you can keep an eye on your property no matter how far you roam.
Security cameras and smart doorbells allow you to monitor your home in real time, sending instant alerts if there’s unexpected activity. Smart thermostats help you control energy use remotely, and auto-
mated lights can make it look like someone’s home even when you’re miles away.
Plus, if storms roll through while you’re gone, you can receive outage notifications, so you’ll know if power or internet is affected.
A great summer trip starts with great planning, and broadband makes it easier than ever. With fast and reliable internet, you can research destinations, book accommodations, and map out the best routes with ease.
Apps and websites like Roadtrippers help find scenic stops along the way, GasBuddy locates the cheapest fuel prices, and Google Maps provides real-time traffic updates to help you avoid delays. For those looking for outdoor adventures, AllTrails offers detailed maps of hiking trails,
and Bags Packed?
Coosa Valley Technologies!
while vacation rental platforms like Airbnb and VRBO make finding the perfect beach house or cabin a breeze.
Once you’re on the road, staying connected is just as important. With broadband reaching more vacation destinations, families no longer have to sacrifice internet access while enjoying a getaway. Whether you want to stream movies on a rainy day, share vacation photos instantly, or keep the kids entertained on long drives with games and audiobooks, high-speed internet makes it all possible.
And for those blending work with travel, reliable broadband ensures you can take video calls, send emails, and work remotely from a beach house, lakefront cabin, or anywhere else your summer plans take you.
Apps like The Weather Channel and MyRadar provide real-time storm alerts, helping you avoid severe weather while traveling. If minor illnesses or injuries occur, telehealth services like Teladoc and MDLIVE allow you to consult
a doctor virtually without having to search for a local urgent care. And with navigation apps like Google Maps and Waze, you can avoid flooded roads or detours caused by summer storms.
At Coosa Valley Technologies, we’re committed to keeping you connected — not just at home but wherever life takes you. From securing your home while you’re away to helping you plan the perfect getaway and stay connected on the go, our high-speed internet is making summer travel safer, easier, and more enjoyable.
As school lets out and vacation season kicks into high gear, you can count on us to keep you connected — every step of the way.
Alabama summers also bring unpredictable weather, but broadband helps travelers stay prepared.
Front porches
The ol’ Clark’s Dairy home place on River Road in Ohatchee has been standing since 1919! It has made it through many families and its strong bones and wraparound porch has been a pillar of the community for many years, where it used to supply the community with milk. SUBMITTED by Laura Hurst, Ohatchee.
My front porch is my favorite “room” in the house. It’s perfect for watching the sun rise and set and it always offers a welcoming place for friends and family to visit. SUBMITTED by Meredith Crigler, Robertsdale.
Three generations on the porch. Billie, Tammy and Kattie. SUBMITTED by Tammy Jenkins, Danville.
Lane on his front porch swing for July 4th. SUBMITTED by Anna Feemster, Fyffe.
theme: “Summer vacations” | Deadline: June 30
I found this front porch while touring around Halloween time. Love the shadows, pansies, coal bucket and textures of the wood and stone. SUBMITTED by Tony Triolo, Guntersville.
RULES: Photos submitted for publication may also be published on our website at alabamaliving.coop and on our Facebook and Instagram pages. Alabama Living is not responsible for lost or damaged photos. Send a self-addressed stamped envelope to have photos returned.
THIS
MONTH IN ALABAMA HISTORY
May 18, 1933: The TVA is Born
With the stroke of his pen on May 18, 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Tennessee Valley Authority. Enabling legislation to create the new agency was part of FDR’s New Deal. During his fabled first 100 days in office, the newly inaugurated president passed more than a dozen landmark bills to blunt the effects of the Great Depression. Republican Sen. George Norris of Nebraska and Democratic Rep. Lister Hill of Alabama shepherded the bill through Congress with bipartisan support.
Years earlier, during World War I, a government nitrate plant and hydroelectric power facility at Wilson Dam in Muscle Shoals had demonstrated the potential for such a project on the mighty, but sometimes troublesome Tennessee River. The new president wanted to do more than simply reinvigorate Wilson Dam. Instead, he asked Congress to tap “the potential public usefulness of the entire Tennessee River.” He envisioned a new agency with broad powers to regulate the flow and navigability along the full length of the river; engage in resource management; and to produce inexpensive electrical power for the millions of people who lived in an 80,000-square-mile service region across the Southeast. By 1939, more than half of TVA’s total power generation capacity came from Alabama’s Wilson, Wheeler and Guntersville dams. All across the Tennessee Valley, the lights came on. Agriculture, industry, commerce and recreation in the region benefitted greatly. When the U.S. entered World War II, the TVA’s resources — including phosphorous, nitrate and precious electrical power — all contributed to the Allied victory.
Today, nine decades after its creation, the TVA is a nation’s largest public power company. Few New Dealera agencies have enjoyed a more lasting legacy.
– Scotty Kirkland
Letters to the editor
E-mail us at: letters@alabamaliving.coop or write us at: Letters to the editor P.O. Box 244014 Montgomery, AL 36124
Loved Harper Lee book
column
I just read the story (“Cup o’ Joe,” April 2025) in Alabama Living (Arab Electric). I generally peruse the contents quickly and check for any interesting tidbits before throwing the magazine in the trash. The magazine got a respite today because of your story. I loved it.
The whole gift-giving headline had me going, and the execution of your plan to get Harper Lee to sign a copy had me throughout the story. The gifting portion -- she set it aside, you directed her to read the autograph, best hug ever -- perfect. Excellently told story. Well done. Totally enjoyed it.
Thank you.
Rick Lusk, Guntersville
Longtime editor receives posthumous award
Darryl Gates, editor of Alabama Living magazine for nearly 30 years, was posthumously awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the national Statewide Editors Association during its March meeting in Atlanta. Accepting the award on behalf of their late husband and father were Martha Gates, Craig Gates and Scott Gates. “It was an honor to follow in his footsteps and I cannot think of another person more deserving of this recognition,” said Lenore Vickrey, vice president of communications for Alabama Rural Electric Association and editor of Alabama Living. Gates’ tenure from 1983 to 2012 saw the magazine transition from AREA Magazine, printed on newsprint, to Alabama Living, the full-color magazine it is today.
Find the Hidden Dingbat!
We heard from many of our readers who had a hard time finding that hidden pretzel in the April magazine. To that we can only say, some months the Dingbat is harder to find than others! Mrs. Taylor Brown of Mentone was convinced we were playing an April Fool’s joke, but we promise were weren’t fooling! The pretzel was tucked away on the plate of the diner at the Greasy Spoon Kitchen on Page 24. Pamela Maten of Gilbertown, a member of Black Warrior EMC, said she looked through her magazine four times and didn’t find it, but when she enlisted the help of some younger eyes, they helped her find it in the photograph. Congratulations to our randomly selected winner, Randy Hawkins of Gadsden, a member of Sand Mountain EC, for correctly locating the pretzel. He wins a $25 gift card from Alabama One Credit Union.
This month, in honor of Mother’s Day May 11, we’ve hidden a white carnation, the official flower of Mother’s Day. Remember, it will not be in an advertisement, or on Pages 1-8. Good luck, and Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers who read our magazine!
Sponsored by By email: dingbat@alabamaliving.coop
By mail: Find the Dingbat Alabama Living PO Box 244014 Montgomery, AL 36124
David Lilienthal, director of the TVA, stands at the Wilson Dam, 1934
Whereville, AL
Identify and place this Alabama landmark and you could win $25! Winner is chosen at random from all correct entries. Multiple entries from the same person will be disqualified. Send your answer with your name, address and the name of your rural electric cooperative, if applicable. The winner and answer will be announced in the June issue.
Submit by email: whereville@alabamaliving.coop, or by mail: Whereville, P.O. Box 244014, Montgomery, AL 36124.
Take Us Along!
Contribute a photo you took for an upcoming issue! Send a photo of an interesting or unusual landmark in Alabama, which must be accessible to the public. A reader whose photo is chosen will also win $25.
April’s answer: This statue commemorates the life and work of Alabama attorney and politician Albert Patterson, who was the Democratic nominee for state attorney general in the mid-1950s. At that time, Phenix City was called “Sin City” and was run by organized crime and corrupt politicians, which Patterson had pledged to clean up. The statue and bench, dedicated in 2020, sits across the street from the building that housed his law office and is just steps from where he was murdered on the evening of June 18, 1954. (Photo by Allison Law of Alabama Living.) The randomly drawn correct guess winner is Chad Simpson of Baldwin EMC.
We’ve enjoyed seeing photos from our readers on their travels with Alabama Living! Please send us a photo of you with a copy of the magazine on your travels to: mytravels@ alabamaliving.coop. Be sure to include your name, hometown and electric cooperative, and the location of your photo. We’ll draw a winner for the $25 prize each month.
and Tonya Haynie of Boaz sent us this photo from the edge of the Grand Canyon in Arizona. They are members of MarshallDekalb EC.
Dana McElhanney of Orange Beach, a member of Baldwin EMC, traveled to the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland with her magazine.
Melanie Hughes, a member of Coosa Valley EC, visited the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy for her “big” birthday.
Denise and Johnny Willis of Boaz, members of Marshall-Dekalb EC, took their magazine to Giants Causeway, County Antrim, Northern Ireland.
David Lynch of Moulton traveled to the Cheyenne Union Pacific Train Depot, built in 1886, in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He is a member of Joe Wheeler EMC.
Eve Cheatham of Hartselle, a member of Joe Wheeler EMC, took her Alabama Living along to the Kentucky Derby last year.
PASSION
For Native Plants
BY KATIE JACKSON
Social Media Sensation Kyle Lybarger Helps Us See the Grasslands for the Trees
Next time you spot a weedy patch on the roadside, slow down and pay attention. You may be in the presence of an ancient and vanishing Alabama ecosystem or a wildly popular Alabama-based social media celebrity. Or both.
Messy as they may look, overgrown sites such as these can be prime habitat for overlooked and often undiscovered populations of rare and imperiled native plants. They are also prime habitat for Kyle Lybarger, a Hartselle native and native plant champion whose passionate and informative social media posts have made him a leading conservation influencer and educator.
Lybarger is a forester and conservationist on a mission to preserve, restore and raise awareness of a littleknown piece of Alabama’s natural history — our native grasslands — a mission inspired by Lybarger’s own discovery of remnant grassland ecosystems hiding in plain sight throughout the state.
Most people think of Alabama as a land of forests, but according to Lybarger the majority of the state was once covered by a diverse mosaic of grass-dominated ecosystems ranging from open expanses of prairies and savannas to small pockets of grasslands found in fens, glades, meadows, marshes, bogs, coastal dunes and other habitats. Each of these ecosystems harbored unique and biodiverse populations of plants and animals that were key to the health and wellbeing of all life in their surrounding natural community, including Indigenous peoples.
Today, nearly 70 percent — some 23 million acres — of Alabama’s undeveloped landmass is forested, which makes it hard to envision its former grassland status much less envision that cities like Montgomery and Huntsville sit upon what once were open prairies and savannas. It’s no wonder, then, that few people today know about Alabama’s grassland heritage. In fact, despite being a lifelong outdoorsman with an intimate knowledge of his own Morgan County landscape, Lybarger didn’t know about its grassland heritage until after he graduated from Alabama A&M University with a degree in forestry and wildlife management.
Interest started early
Lybarger’s interest in the out-of-doors began almost at birth after his parents discovered the benefits of letting their active can’t-sit-still son spend time and energy playing outside. “I was probably feral and couldn’t be contained,” he says. “So they let me loose out there and it was my place to explore and have fun. I can still remember every trail and tree and everything I did out there.”
terrain harbors native plants such as yellow stargrass and Alabama larkspur.
“ They were our most diverse ecosystems, and they dominated the state,” Lybarger says, “but we’ve lost 99 percent of them.” That decline began after European settlers arrived and started converting flat, open, fertile grasslands into cropland and pastures. By the early 1900s, most of the state’s grasslands had been replaced by farms, forests and development.
Lybarger’s father, Scott, also helped deepen his son’s outdoor connections by taking him hunting and fishing and mentoring him in Boy Scouts all the way through to the rank of Eagle Scout.
After earning his degree from A&M in 2017, Lybarger took to the woods as a private forester, a job primarily focused on trees. But during his travels to consult with landowners, Lybarger started noticing showy wildflowers and other interesting plants growing along backroads and in the woods and pastures on his clients’ properties.
“I became obsessed with learning the names of these native plants that had been around me all this time but that I hadn’t noticed before,” he says.
Using the iNaturalist app to identify them, Lybarger discovered that many
Undisturbed
PHOTO BY CHRISTY STALNAKER
Kyle Lybarger using the iNaturalist app to identify native plants which turn out to be prairie coneflowers (commonly called black-eyed Susans)
PHOTO BY FREEDOM
were rare and endangered species, some of which had never before been documented in Alabama. Among Lybarger’s many discoveries are the first documented population of rare purple milkweed in the state and a Durand oak located on property far outside its usual range.
“ The rarest plant I ever found was the Porter’s goldenrod,” he says. When he discovered it — “rediscovered” it, as he says — in 2020 on a site in Morgan County, it was only the second known existing population of Porter’s goldenrod in the world “and it was growing in the city limits of Hartselle!”
Lybarger also soon learned that many of these plants were remnants of Alabama’s former grasslands, which he hadn’t realized ever existed in the state, so he began educating himself on this littleknown ecological history. A personal tragedy — the sudden death of his father — also deepened Lybarger’s obsession with and commitment to the plants.
“He died in 2017 while I was on my honeymoon,” Lybarger says. “That was hard, and I spent a lot of the next year just walking in the woods, and then I started collecting seeds from these native plants I was learning more about.”
Social media following takes off Lybarger and his wife, Anna, planted these seeds and soon had the equivalent of a small native plant nursery at their house. Kyle also began posting photos of his plant finds on Facebook and then started making short TikTok videos of his adventures and discoveries. “The first two or three were really bad,” he says of those reels, but they got better and Lybarger soon attracted a small online following.
“I began to post one every few days, sometimes multiple times a day,” he says. “I realized how much I enjoyed not just finding these plants myself but spreading the word.”
Taking the advice of another local social media celebrity — one with more than a billion followers — Lybarger created the Native Habitat Project as his online brand and began posting on multiple channels: TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Within five weeks, the NHP “brand” had taken off and today has some 1.5 million followers who check in regularly to view Lybarger’s entertaining, informative and always passionate posts. Those posts usually feature the bearded, baseball cap-wearing 31-year-old Lybarger as he explores weedy roadsides, woods, pastures and other urban and rural sites. And it’s obvious from the responses to these videos that he’s struck a chord.
“I can see that other people care about it, too; they care about the land, but they don’t have anyone to teach them about it or teach them how to maintain it,” he says.
With the help of his followers and supporters on Patreon, Lybarger and his two partners, Jake Brown and Allen Summerford, have turned the NHP (nativehabitatproject.com) into a fulltime job. Together they offer consulting and management services for landowners interested in preserving and reestablishing native habitats. They are also dedicated to educating the public about the importance of these habitats — to helping more and more people see the grasslands for the trees.
“You can’t appreciate what you don’t know about, so putting a spotlight on the beauty and value of these amazing
food source for Indigenous people.
3) Erigeron strigosus var. calcicole, or Limestone Prairie Fleabane, a daisy-like wildflower, dots the glade area.
1) The David Webb Glade, a rocky limestone glade in Lawrence County located along a TVA powerline, is just one example of the overlooked remnant grassland ecosystems that still dot the state. 2) Among the species located in this glad are Nashville breadroot, a tuberous native plant that was once used as a
Lybarger and his wife, Anna, are passionate about protecting and restoring native grassland ecosystems for their own children, 11-yearold Ellie and 2-year-old Walker, but also for many future generations of Alabamians. “This isn’t ours, it’s theirs,” he says.
places is what this is all about,” he says. It’s also about preserving what’s left of these ecosystems for his own children, 11-year-old Ellie and 2-year-old Walker, and for generations to come. “This isn’t ours, it’s theirs.”
And there’s a lot that we all can do to ensure these plants and ecosystems are protected and restored for posterity, which begins with something Lybarger discovered back in 2017 — the importance of paying attention.
Hiding in plain sight
Because these plants often hide in plain sight along roadsides, in unsprayed powerlines and even around derelict buildings and trash piles — places that are too wet, rocky, steep or overgrown to easily mow or cultivate — it’s easy to overlook them. The same goes for our own yards.
“ The rarest plant I have ever seen (the Porter’s goldenrod) was in a half-acre lot between two trees where they couldn’t get the lawnmower in there,” he says.
Now, though, as more and more farmland and previously neglected pieces of land are being developed into commercial and residential sites, these hidden remnant populations are at even greater risk. However, Lybarger believes they can be saved; it’s just a matter of recognizing and protecting them before it’s too late. And that begins with seeing them.
“Pay attention to your surroundings, and if you see a flower or plant you don’t recognize, take a picture of it. You can use an app to identify it,” he tells viewers in his reels. Whether it’s in your yard, on your farm and forestland or in a weedy roadside patch, that plant could be the beginning of something special.
“If you bring back one species, others can follow, and you can reestablish a really nice prairie,” Lybarger says. You may also better understand what shows in every one of Lybarger’s posts.
“I have an all-encompassing love of these plants,” he says. “I have a hard time putting it in words, but it is what I enjoy doing the most.”
PHOTO BY CHRISTY STALNAKER
Beloved Lighthouse
A Victim of Time, Weather, Erosion
BY EMMETT BURNETT
Sand Island Lighthouse as it looks today, protruding from a rock pile in the Gulf of Mexico, three miles from Dauphin Island.
With binoculars focused on a tiny plot of sand off the coast of Dauphin Island, a lighthouse comes into focus. Even from three miles away, one can see the changes. Sand Island is hardly an island and its lighthouse needs help.
Twelve years ago I visited South Alabama’s beloved lighthouse. I climbed in its window and beheld with wonder the century old iron spiral stairs that led to the top of the 131-foot-tall tower.
You can’t do that anymore as the lighthouse is sealed off. The island which once was 400 acres is now a small rock pile on which the massive brownstone brick cone stands.
The Sand Island Lighthouse is a victim of time, weather, and erosion. Yet it is still beautiful. “Lighthouse enthusiasts from all over the country come here to visit,” notes Dauphin Island Mayor, Jeff Collier. “Sand Island has a big following.”
In 2023, the U.S. Department of Interior donated the tiny spot on the Gulf of Mexico to Dauphin Island. “The federal government handed it to us in hopes we could take action to preserve it,” recalls Collier.
“We made improvements, but the lighthouse has been hit by countless powerful storms over the years. There are challenges in restoring and protecting it,” he adds.
Attempts at saving Sand Island are nothing new. It has been revised, preserved, and even replaced over centuries.
“Most people do not know this is Sand Island’s third lighthouse,” says Peter Tanner, president of the Alabama Lighthouse Association and Dauphin Island resident. All three were built during the 1800s.
Pointing at the giant brownstone cylinder in the sea, he notes, “The first one was only 55 feet tall and unable to provide the light needed.”
Lighthouse 1 was dismantled and a new one was built. “But it was overkill,” Tanner adds, about the second attempt, which at nearly 200 feet was the tallest lighthouse ever built on the Gulf Coast. It was also a haven for Union soldier spies.
There are two theories on how Tower 2 met its demise and stopped Union snoops. One account notes that on Feb. 23, 1863, Confederate John W. Glenn rowed out to the lighthouse and placed 70 pounds of gunpower under the tower. He lit a fuse and ran for his life, followed by an explosion of seaside bricks.
The other account holds that soldiers of nearby Fort Morgan opened fire on Sand
Island, destroying the tower. Regardless of how it fell, the action made room for the third and final lighthouse.
Finally, Lighthouse 3 was completed and stands today. Its base is 28 feet in diameter and 6 feet thick.
“When you consider what this lighthouse has endured and it still stands is amazing,” Tanner adds. “The craftsmanship is unbelievable.” He continues, “take the iron spiral stairway, which was only seen by the lighthouse keeper and his wife. Yet the metal work is so detailed and beautiful. There was no heavy construction machinery back then. These bricks were hand laid. I don’t see how they did it.”
Beside the great conical masterpiece was the Keeper’s House. The two-story dwelling was home to the lighthouse keeper and his wife, or an assistant. In 1908 two keepers manned the beacon during a hurricane that killed 150 people in Mobile and two on Sand Island. Presumed drowned at sea, Sand Island Lighthouse Keeper Andrew Hansen and wife Emma were never seen again.
Sand Island’s lighthouse was deactivated in 1933.
On Sept. 26, 1973, the abandoned keeper’s house burned to the ground. Still a beacon for those who want to preserve it
Today, the lighthouse lives in perilous times pelted with saltwater. Originally, Sand Island was 400 acres, big enough for the keepers to raise crops and tend cows. When I walked on it in 2012, the island was about the size of a football field.
“I have been on this island and in the lighthouse many times over the years,” adds Tanner. “Many of us have tried to
make repairs. Some success has been done in slowing down the deterioration but more needs to be done.”
In 2011, funded by a B.P. Oil Spill $6 million grant, administered by the U.S. Corps of Engineers, tons of sand was pumped around the lighthouse making a new island. Today that sand is gone. The tower stands among rocks in 20 feet of water.
As we stand on Dauphin Island gazing out at Sand Island, Tanner explains what I see. My vision is through binoculars. His is from real world experience.
“Since the 1970s I’ve noticed hairline cracks running down the east and west side of the lighthouse,” he notes, nodding to the mammoth cone protruding on the Gulf’s horizon. “Those cracks are growing, longer and wider.”
He added that many of the stairway’s iron planks are missing and most of the roof has been blown off.
Tanner continues, “People often ask me, ‘what is the future for Sand Island and the lighthouse?’ I tell them, that is up to Mother Nature and time. Nothing manmade can stop those swift currents and storms, which may eventually take the tower down.”
In addition to the Corps of Engineers, others have worked on island restoration including volunteer groups and the City of Dauphin Island. “After one of the hurricanes, we made an effort around the lighthouse’s base, securing rocks tied with cables and mesh to hold it in place,” recalls Mayor Collier.
He sees two possibilities for saving the historical icon. “One idea is to restore it in place,” he says, “But that would be difficult and expensive, as you are out there working over deep water and rough surf. Hauling equipment to that type of environment is not cheap.”
The other plan is to dismantle the tower, at least part of it, in sections, and reassemble it on Dauphin Island. Unfortunately, as Collier states, there is little or no money available to fund those ideas.
Centuries earlier the conical fortress was a beacon over troubled waters. Regardless of its future, the Sand Island Lighthouse is still a beacon for those who love it and hope to preserve it.
The view looking into the lighthouse at the spiral iron stairway to the top.
PHOTO BY EMMETT BURNETT
Linden Eatery is a Beacon for Hungry Diners
BY JENNIFER KORNEGAY
Sonny Breckenridge never had any intention of running a restaurant. Before he opened Hello Sunshine Eats in Linden in summer 2024, he never really thought about fixing pounds and pounds of food to sell and serve to others. But what began with making use of an empty lot he owned quickly became an energizing ray of light for his community.
Owning and running a construction company keeps Breckenridge busy, but when he heard a local store with a popular lunch counter in a neighboring community was closing, he felt he could fill the void. He had a vacant piece of land on a main road, so he reached out to the guy who’d run the store’s little eatery, and they started Hello Sunshine Eats, beginning with a food truck. Initial success motivated them to expand into a permanent restaurant, which Breckenridge was able to build quickly thanks to his day job.
While Breckenridge and his original teammate in the venture have since parted ways, Hello Sunshine is
The exterior of Hello Sunshine Eats.
Hello Sunshine Owner Sonny Breckenridge.
still beaming. “Folks here were supportive from the beginning and still are,” Breckenridge says. And while he wasn’t trying to draw in tourists, word of the good eats on offer has spread, nonetheless. “We’ve had people drive to us from as far as Tuscaloosa,” which is 70 miles away. Plus, plenty of hunters descend on the area hoping to bag trophy game each year. And numerous log trucks still traverse the road that runs in front of Hello Sunshine. Whether they be Linden locals, truck drivers, outdoorsmen or some other kind of visitor, they’re enjoying the classic downhome cooking Breckenridge and his team are turning out, plus a few favorites reminiscent of Linden’s Dairy Queen that closed long ago, like thick burgers smashed thin and cooked on a griddle until tender on the inside with a little crust on the outside.
Last winter, Breckenridge cooked 15 gallons of Brunswick stew daily; he confirmed the comforting dish will likely make a repeat appearance when temperatures drop again. Pulled pork from the smoker out back can be had as a plate with accompaniments like homemade mac ’n’ cheese or piled into a sandwich. Lighter options include juicy chopped grilled chicken and crumbled smoky bacon atop fresh greens.
And hefty fried chicken fingers fly out of the kitchen, thanks in part to the tangy, creamy house-made tartar sauce served on the side, which is equally delicious as a dip for warm French fries or onion rings. “It’s lots of black pepper, lemon juice, some garlic and some chopped bell pepper,” Breckenridge says. “We go through more than five gallons a week.”
Special events and more
A hot bar warms things up, with rotating offerings like field peas, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, collard
greens, sauteed squash and more ready to fill plates and then bellies. Daily specials often include barbecue nachos with fresh-made pico de gallo, taco salads (which always sell out), fried catfish on Fridays and whole slabs of ribs on Saturdays.
And Breckenridge isn’t shy about tooting his restaurant’s horn, especially when it comes to desserts. “Our red velvet cake is great, just great. It’s moist and rich,” he says.
Special events like crawfish boils with live music keep Hello Sunshine’s light bright too. “We’ve done several this spring, and by mid-March, we’d cooked and sold more than 5,000 pounds of crawfish,” he says. “People love to come sit outside, eat and listen to tunes.” Future plans include a produce market this summer, as well as the addition of frosty treats like snow cones and ice cream.
“I never thought I’d be doing this, but now I think it is really cool,” Breckenridge says. “I love serving people and meeting this need – and there was a need for it.”
Proof is in the dining room full of folks relaxed at its picnic-style tables representing the diversity of Linden and surrounding areas.
“People come and eat, all ages and races,” he says. “They stay not just for 30 minutes but maybe an hour or more, talking and catching up. We’ve become a hangout and a special spot for our locals, and that’s awesome to me.”
Hello Sunshine Eats
700 S. Main Avenue, Linden, AL 36748
334-643-3222
Find them on Facebook at Hello Sunshine Eats
Hours: 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday
Linden l
1) The hot bar at Hello Sunshine Eats changes daily, with updates posted to the restaurant’s Facebook page. 2) Pulled pork from the smoker can be piled into a sandwich, or plated with sides like mac ’n’ cheese or French fries. 3) Among the desserts at Hello Sunshine Eats are moist and delicious red velvet cake.
PHOTO COURTESY
PHOTO
A Love for Maritime History
BY EMMETT BURNETT
We caught up with John Sledge after he debarked the two-deck open-air tour boat, The Perdido Queen. The historian, writer and lecturer led an excursion to the 1951 ocean liner, SS United States. The ship, once a symbol of American innovation and luxury travel, will soon become an artificial reef, but today it is the talk of Mobile and leading that discussion is John Sledge.
History is more than the Fairhope resident’s livelihood. It is his passion. In a sit- down interview among the artifacts of the museum, Sledge shared his enthusiasm for the past and optimism for the future.
Your tours of the SS United States quickly sell out. Do you see a renewed interest in history?
I am heartened by the amazing response the SS United States was greeted with. People want to connect to the glamour of that lost era of oceanic travel. The history becomes part of them in unexpected ways. For me to share that bit of history with them is a real privilege.
The luxury vessel is fascinating. One of the tour riders had a room key to the ship! That could have been Cary Grant’s key!
What brought you to Mobile?
I am originally from Montevallo, but as a child we visited Mobile relatives during holidays and other occasions. My grandmothers told these wonderful stories about Mobile. My dad (New York Times best-selling author Eugene B. Sledge) had an abiding love of sailing ships and the sea. He shared incredible tales that he had personally experienced.
I moved down here in 1985. It felt like home. Mobile was always my spiritual center and maritime history is my first love.
As a writer, what is unique and fascinates you about Mobile and the Gulf Coast?
Everything in Mobile just seems more flavorful. You can chalk that up to the good food like our gumbo, shrimp, and jambalaya, I guess. But Mobile has a coastal vibration that I really respond to and enjoy.
John Sledge
Position: Maritime Historian-In -Residence for the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico
Background: Bachelor’s in history and Spanish, Auburn University; master’s in historic preservation, Middle Tennessee State University. Senior architectural historian, Mobile Historic Development Commission; book page editor, Mobile Press-Register, 17 years; author of eight books, magazine articles and other publications.
You can smell Mobile in the air. You smell the salt. This is a different culture down here. We are the south of the south.
Mobile is like no other city in Alabama. To me, it is exotic. It is a seaport and a river town. It is a cross section of so many interesting things and colorful characters.
What is your writing process and do you ever experience writer’s block?
Typically, a book takes me three to five years to research and write. As for writer’s block, I find the answer is ‘give it time.’ The more time I spend reading and studying the material, playing with it, eventually it all falls into place.
In addition, my wife Lynn is my first reader and edits all of my stuff. I depend on her as my first reader. She is a big help.
PHOTO BY EMMETT BURNETT
PLANNING AND PLANTING FOR POLLINATORS
Spring has sprung! I truly love this time of year. Warmer temperatures and lots of sunshine are guiding us all outdoors to enjoy our gardens, landscapes and green spaces!
We aren’t the only ones enjoying this seasonal change. Our insect friends are even more active than we are. Butterflies are fluttering and bees are buzzing! Did you know that these are just two of several species that serve as pollinators in our gardens and landscapes? Beetles, moths, flies, birds and even bats are also instrumental in the success of our cultivated and natural habitats.
Recently, pollinators have received increased attention, and rightfully so as they serve a very important role in the plant kingdom. They are essential to the reproduction of a vast majority of flowering plants and food crops. Plants rely on a plentiful, healthy population of pollinators for fruit set, quality, and size. In fact, more than 30% of the fruits and vegetables that we consume depend on pollinators. Just as plants need pollinators for survival, pollinators are extremely dependent on plants. Throughout the year, these industrious creatures rely on a wide variety of flowers to provide the nectar and pollen that serve as their food source.
What you do in your own backyard can greatly affect pollinator activity and health, not only in your garden, but in your community as well. Adequate food, water, and shelter are essential to increasing pollinator numbers.
When selecting and planting food sources, diversity
of plant material, bloom season and plant groupings are crucial to success. While there are many lists of numerous pollinator plants, be sure to select those that are adapted to our climate. Fall is the recommended time to add trees and shrubs to your landscape, but some of our favorite pollinator-friendly perennials may be most available this time of year. What a great excuse to visit your local garden center and find the plants perfect for you and your pollinators!
It’s also necessary to provide a clean, reliable water source, whether natural like a pond or stream, or man-made such as a bird bath or even rocks that serve as puddling areas. Pollinators need sources of water for many purposes, including drinking and reproduction.
Some type of shelter is another key component to increasing your pollinator population. Pollinators need sites for roosting and nesting as well as protection from severe weather and predators.
Minimizing pesticide use is an extremely important (and often overlooked) step in the support of pollinators. Bees and other pollinators are easily injured by many insecticides so it is important to use them only when absolutely necessary. If insecticides are required, be sure to choose one that is the least toxic to bees. Also, consider the formulation of the insecticide. Dust formulations are particularly dangerous to bees because they stick to their bodies, and in the case of honeybees, are transported back to the hive. Application timing of the insecticide is also crucial. If you must apply an insecticide in an area where bees are active, do so only late in the evening or early in the morning when bees are not likely to be active.
I hope these tips are helpful! With a little research and proper planning and planting, you can increase the number of pollinators calling your area of the world home.
Bethany O’Rear, a horticulturist for more than 20 years, is a regional agent with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, specializing in commercial and home horticulture.
AWARDS Electric cooperatives recognize several with awards
The Alabama Rural Electric Association of Cooperatives, which publishes Alabama Living, presented several awards at its 78th Annual Meeting in April. AREA Board Chairman Vince Johnson and President and CEO Karl Rayborn were on hand to present the awards.
Former U.S. Congressman Jerry Carl received the AREA Chairman’s Award from AREA Board Chairman Vince Johnson, CEO of Southern Pine EC, right. The congressman was instrumental in securing FEMA funding for Southern Pine at a critical time following damage to the cooperative’s service area from Hurricane Sally in 2020.
AREA Statewide Safety Specialist Jeff Whatley and Laura Stewart, manager of the AREA Education and Training Program, were given the Jack Jenkins Cooperative Employee Citizenship Award. The award is given to cooperative employees who have gone above and beyond the normal call of duty. Whatley and Stewart have spent long hours coordinating the logistics of multiple crews within and outside the state as part of the mutual aid response of the state’s cooperatives during times of severe weather.
LaRue Shaver, center, accepts the AREA Eminent Service Award on behalf of her late husband, Jimmy Shaver, for his outstanding contributions to the rural electrification program in Alabama. South Alabama EC General Manager David Bailey, right, gave a moving tribute to Shaver, who served 41 years on the SAEC board. He was also a member of the AREA and PowerSouth boards. AREA President and CEO Karl Rayborn, left, members of the SAEC board and Shaver’s family members were also on hand for the award.
Karen Moore, third from left, was honored with the Ted Jackson Pathfinder Award, presented for extraordinary service on behalf of the electric cooperatives, and whose life has had a profound and lasting effect on the foundations of the rural electrification program in Alabama. Moore was the CEO of Baldwin EMC for 10 years, having served the cooperative for 20 years, and serving a total of 30 years in the utility industry. While at Baldwin, she navigated unprecedented changes and challenges including hurricanes, a pandemic, global supply chain issues, workforce shortages and an economic recession. On hand to congratulate her on the award were members of the Baldwin EMC board, from left, Aubury Fuller, Carolyn Doughty, Joseph Coleman, Tommie Werneth, Robert Kaiser and Peggy Vanover Barnes.
Todd Stacy, founder and publisher of the Alabama Daily News and host of Alabama Public Television’s “Capitol Journal,” was given the 2025 Alabama Media Excellence Award. Stacy was recognized for his willingness to give his audience the facts about energy policy and the impact it will have on electric cooperatives, and his generosity in speaking to statewide audiences at AREA’s meetings and on local cooperative podcasts. He has also been a loyal supporter of Alabama Living through advertising and being a top source for news stories.
PHOTOS BY ALLISON LAW
Social Security Recently Announced Identity Proofing Requirements
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is taking proactive steps to enhance the security of its services by implementing stronger identity verification procedures. The updated measures will further safeguard Social Security records and benefits for millions of Americans against fraudulent activity. In-person identity proofing for people unable to use their personal my Social Security account for certain services was effective April 14.
“We have listened to our customers, Congress, advocates, and others, and we are updating our policy to provide better customer service to the country’s most vulnerable populations,” said Lee Dudek, acting commissioner of Social Security. “In addition to extending the policy’s effective date by two weeks to ensure our employees have the training they need to help customers, Medicare, Disability, and SSI applications will be exempt from inperson identity proofing because multiple opportunities exist during the decision process to verify a person’s identity.”
Under the updated policy beginning April 14, 2025,
Kylle’ McKinney, SSA Public Affairs Specialist, can be reached by e-mail at kylle.mckinney@ssa.gov. You may also call Social Security’s toll-free number at 1-800-772-1213.
individuals applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Medicare, or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) who cannot use a personal my Social Security account can complete their claim entirely over the telephone without the need to come into an office.
Individuals who cannot use their personal my Social Security account to apply for benefits will only need to prove their identity at a Social Security office if applying for Retirement, Survivors, or Auxiliary (Spouse or Child) benefits.
SSA will enforce online digital identity proofing or in-person identity proofing for these cases. The agency will not enforce these requirements in extreme direneed situations, such as terminal cases or prisoner pre-release scenarios. SSA is currently developing a process that will require documentation and management approval to bypass the policy in such dire need cases.
Individuals who do not or cannot use the agency’s online my Social Security services to change their direct deposit information for any benefit will need to visit a Social Security office to process the change or call 1-800-772-1213 to schedule an in-person appointment. The agency also recommends that individuals unable to apply online call to schedule an in-person appointment to
begin and complete a claim for Retirement, Survivors, or Auxiliary (Spouse or Child) benefits in one interaction.
SSA recently required nearly all agency employees, including frontline employees in all offices throughout the country, to work in the office five days a week. This change ensures maximum staffing is available to support the stronger in-person identity proofing requirement.
The agency will continue to monitor and, if necessary, make adjustments to ensure it pays the right person the right amount at the right time while safeguarding the benefits and programs it administers. SSA plans to implement the Department of Treasury’s Bureau of Fiscal Service’s payment integrity service called Account Verification Service (AVS). AVS provides instant bank verification services to proactively and timely prevent fraud associated with direct deposit change requests. SSA will continue to fight fraud while balancing its program integrity responsibilities with delivering on its customer service mission to the American people.
People who do not already have a my Social Security account can create one at ssa.gov/myaccount/. Stay up to date about SSA’s identity proofing requirements and exceptions at ssa. gov/news/identity-proofing.html
CROSSWORD
BY MYLES MELLOR
EVENTS
MAY 2-3
Moulton, 2025 Strawberry Festival, 13550 Court St. This family-friendly festival features live music and entertainment, a kids’ bicycle parade, cornhole tournament, fishing rodeo/derby, tour of LouAllen Farms Strawberry Patch, classic car, truck and motorcycle show, fireworks, cancer survivor walk, schools’ band concert, food and arts and crafts vendors, a petting zoo, agricultural displays, antique tractor show and more. Search for Strawberry Festival Moulton on Facebook.
MAY 3
Valley, 9th annual Hike/Bike/Run for Valley Haven School, 7 a.m. EDT. Events include a one- or five-mile hike, children’s bike ride, a trike and stroller walk, a 10-mile bike ride and a one-mile, 4K or 5K run. Prizes and T-shirts for participants; food and children’s activities available. Participants pay a small registration fee or solicit pledges. 334-756-7801 or email valleyhaven@valleyhavenschool.org
MAY 3
Columbia, Walk in History – A Cemetery Tour, sponsored by the Columbia Historical Society and the Columbia Manor, 5 to 8 p.m. at Columbia Cemetery, Highway 52 East. $10. This guided walking tour will recognize some of the deceased citizens of the area.
MAY 3
Elba, Rockin’ the River Music and Arts Festival, historic downtown area, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Vintage car show, a pop-up history museum, petting zoo, art exhibition, live music, free arts and crafts, vendors, food trucks, and artist demonstrations. RockintheRiverElba.com
MAY 3
Pike Road, 7th annual Spring Chicken Festival, SweetCreek Farm Market, 85 Meriwether Road, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. More than 150 vendors, children’s activities and great food. Free. Search for the market’s page on Facebook.
MAY 3
Valley Head, Memories of Mayberry, downtown square, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Family-friendly festival with a cruise-in, food, live entertainment, door prizes and more. Characters from Mayberry will be featured, including a special guest appearance from Barney Fife. Proceeds to benefit events and festivals for the town. 256-899-3776 or 256-635-6814.
MAY 10
Eclectic, fourth annual May Market, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. More than 75 vendors with food, crafts, artwork, jewelry, paintings, wreaths, bows, women’s and children’s clothing, T-shirts, hats, home décor, crochet items and door hangers. Fundraiser for the volunteer group Eclectic the Beautiful. Search for group’s page on Facebook.
MAY 10
Henagar, May on the Mountain Bluegrass Festival, Henagar City Park, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Local bluegrass favorites play all day; the headliner is Rhonda Vincent at 4 p.m. Food and craft vendors on site. Bring a lawn chair. Free. CityofHenagar.com
MAY 17
Arley, Arley Day Festival Parade and Car Show, Hamner Park, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day begins with a parade at 8 a.m. and includes a pickleball tournament and car show. Free admission and children’s activities. Arleywomensclub.org
MAY 17
Scottsboro, Catfish Festival, Jackson County Park, beginning at 8 a.m. Car, motorcycle, truck and side by side show, arts and crafts vendors, food trucks, free kids’ area and free fishing for kids. Event is rain or shine.
MAY 17
Millbrook, 3rd annual Millbrook Mayfest, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Village Green Park. Free family-friendly event with arts and crafts, children’s activities, a maypole dance, music and food vendors.
MAY 17
Arab, 41st annual Poke Salat Festival, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in downtown Arab. Two stages with regional and local talent, featuring bluegrass, blues, Christian, country, rock and more, plus artisan demonstrations, a top dog event, face painting, interactive activities and contests. Search for the event’s page on Facebook.
MAY 17
Pisgah, 3rd annual Mountain Laurel Arts and Music Festival, Pisgah Civitan Park, CR 374. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hike mountain trails, see waterfalls and a natural bridge. Artists, creators and craftsmen will have wares for sale, local musicians all day long, car show from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m., bounce houses for children, vendors and food trucks. Free admission, $5 parking. Search for the event’s page on Facebook.
MAY 17-18
Salem, Rocky Top Spring Market, at the Farm at Rocky Top, 2910 Lee Road 145. More than 100 vendors from all over the Southeast at this arts and crafts festival, featuring handmade, one-of-a-kind designs, unique gourmet foods, boutique and vintage items, an animal barn, inflatables, vintage playground and a variety of food vendors. $5 for ages 5 and up. TheFarmAtRockyTop.com
MAY 17-18
Enterprise, Piney Woods Fine Arts Festival, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 12 to 4 p.m. Sunday, on the campus of Enterprise State Community College. Artists, jewelry makers, student art, food trucks, dancers, poets, live music and a kids’ fest area. Free, but donations are accepted. Sponsored by the Coffee County Arts Alliance. CoffeeCountyArtsAlliance.org
MAY 23
Montgomery, Jubilee Pops Concert, on the lawn of the Alabama Department of Archives and History, 7 p.m. This free concert by the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra is the annual kickoff of Memorial Day weekend in the River Region. Bring lawn chairs and picnic baskets. 334-240-4004.
MAY 24-25
Decatur, Alabama Jubilee Hot Air Balloon Classic, Point Mallard Park. Hot air balloons, food and vendors, entertainment, arts and crafts, classic car show and tractor show. Four flight and event time slots for the balloons, beginning at 6 a.m. Saturday. Free admission and free parking. AlabamaJubilee.net
JUNE 14
Wetumpka, River Jam Music Festival, along the riverfront. Live music from multiple genres, beverage tent by Main Street Wetumpka, arts and artisan craft vendors, specialty food trucks and more. This event was previously called the River & Blues Festival. Search for the event’s page on Facebook.
To place an event, e-mail events@alabamaliving.coop. or visit www.alabamaliving.coop. You can also mail to Events Calendar, P.O. Box 244014, Montgomery, AL 36124; Each submission must include a contact name and phone number. Deadline is two months prior to issue date. We regret that we cannot publish every event due to space limitations.
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The Alabama Jubilee Hot Air Balloon Classic takes place on Memorial Day weekend in Decatur.
‘Baking
in the American South’ COOKBOOK CELEBRATES
Author says Southern baking is “possibly the first and finest style of baking America has ever known.”
BY LENORE VICKREY
When cookbook author Anne Byrn was learning the fine art of pastry making from the top chefs in Paris in the 1980s, she still longed for the taste of her mother’s cooking in Tennessee.
“I would have traded a fancy genoise for a warm slice of my mother’s pound cake any day,” she writes in the introduction to her book, Baking in the American South.
Byrn, known by many for her national bestseller The Cake Mix Doctor, was in Alabama recently to talk about her latest book which features more than 200 recipes from 14 states “and their untold stories.” A newspaper journalist and former food editor for the Atlanta JournalConstitution for 15 years, she spent three years researching and writing the 512-page book which covers the South’s best baked creations from cornbread and biscuits to yeast rolls, cakes, cookies, puddings and pies.
Several recipes come from Alabama cooks, many of whom Byrn describes as “folks nobody’s ever heard of, or they’d forgotten about them.”
“I started during Covid,” she recalls, “beginning with the research defining what is the South, reading what had been written about the South. I read The Warmth of Other Suns, and picked back up my old copies of Eudora Welty stories, all to help get back in the rhythm of the South.”
To locate the recipes she would include, she reached out to her food editor colleagues in other states to get their recommendations.
Many well-known chefs and cooks like Natalie Dupree and Frank Stitt were on her list from the beginning, along with legendary food personalities like Edna Lewis and John Edgerton.
“ Then I learned about people like Ouita Michel,”
she says, a Kentucky restaurateur who wasn’t born in the South but returned to the bluegrass state where she was raised, and became a James Beard-award winning chef. And people like Scott Peacock who teaches popular nationally-known biscuit-making classes out of his 1858 Greek Revival mansion Reverie in Marion, Alabama. And lesser known cooks like Nina Cain, who cooked for Curtis Flowers’ grandmother in Florence, and whose Batty Cakes with Lace Edges, lacy corn cakes fried in hot lard, are the first recipe in the book.
“I tried to include as many people as I could,” Byrn says, “I just tried to cast this really wide net, trying to be representative of all the tastes and time periods. keeping all these balances. What came out of it was that Southern baking is way more interesting than I thought it would be!”
The people and their stories
The region is interesting because of its people, especially those cooks whose stories make up the bulk of the book, along with more than 200 mouth-watering photographs by Rinne Allen.
“ These were people who made valuable contributions,” says Byrn. “In spite of how complicated of a region we are, and our divisiveness, it’s a pretty outstanding place to have lived and grown up.”
So why write about the baking heritage of the South? Byrn turns to a quote from Eudora Welty: “One place understood helps us understand all places better.” “By getting to know one place, we understand the people of that region and then we can in turn understand ourselves and other places better,” she explains. “It boils down to empathy, about putting yourself in another’s shoes in a particular time in history.”
Far from the romanticized version depicted in Gone with the Wind, the South was largely poor and rural, inhabited by immigrants who depended on the agricultural seasons and the soil for their food. They used the ingredients they had on hand. “Out of the isolation, poverty and the rural setting that was most of the South came a style of baking that was quite elevated,” Byrn found. “It was revered and it was special. Corn grew everywhere, but wheat did not. So wheat flour was special, and biscuit baking became special.”
Fittingly, the book opens with a chapter on cornbread, the “one type of baking that does not discriminate,” Byrn says. “Most everybody in the South has had access to cornmeal. It’s the oldest bread and the bread about which people can be very opinionated (if you want to start a lively discussion, ask someone if they put sugar in their cornbread).”
As she notes in the cornbread chapter, before we had ovens, wheat, yeast and other tools to bake bread, “there was corn and fire. A little later, an iron skillet. So cornbread became the South’s first daily bread.”
In addition to Nina Cain’s corn cakes, she also cites Linda Carman’s Back-of-the-Bag Cornbread, a thin and crispy version baked in a sizzling hot iron skillet by her mother in 1950s Cullman. Carman took that recipe with her when she became a home economist for Martha White, the Nashville flour and cornmeal company, and she later put it on the back of the Martha White corneal bag.
Cullman is also cited in her chapter on Rolls, Breads and Yeast-Raised Cakes, with a page devoted to Ewing Steele’s Alabama Orange Rolls. Depending on who you talk to, the famous orange rolls originated in suburban Birmingham where Steele, the chef of Vestavia Gardens, created them in the 1940s and they remain a staple at The Club, a private club overlooking the Magic City. But go to the All Steak Restaurant in Cullman, 45 miles north, and you’ll find them on that menu as well, and the restaurant is proud to claim them. No matter the origin, you can’t go wrong if you make your own, using the original recipe Byrn has included in her book.
“A recipe is an artifact,” she says. “They tell us about our past, about our family. If you look at the recipes in this book, look at the ingredient list and it tells you something about the person. Did they have access to flour, did they have access to sugar? Access was everything. Either you could afford it or you couldn’t. Did it require refrigeration? You can really learn a lot about people (by reading their recipes).”
Recipes and cooks with an Alabama connection Byrne includes recipes likely not seen before that have historic value, especially in Alabama. Who knew, for example, that Rosa Parks had a recipe for Featherlite Peanut Butter Pancakes? Mrs. Parks was the seamstress who became nationally known in 1955 for refusing to give up her seat to a white man on a segregated Montgomery bus. In 2015, the Library of Congress released her personal documents, including a pancake recipe written on the back of a bank deposit
Rosa Parks’ recipe for Featherlite Peanut Butter Pancakes was discovered when the Library of Congress released her personal documents in 2015.
envelope. The name Featherlite is taken from a brand of self-rising flour sold in the South at the time. Byrn notes that she added sliced bananas and chocolate chips when she made the pancakes “because they go so well with the peanut butter.”
Georgia Gilmore, a cook in Montgomery who fed the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Robert Kennedy and others in her home during the 1960s, was also known for her pound cakes. Byrn writes that she organized black women to bake and sell pound cakes, along with pies and fried fish meals, at churches and beauty parlors, as a way to raise money to pay for transportation during the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott. She includes the rich, golden pound cake recipe which she “lightened slightly with a little baking powder.”
Other cooks and their recipes with an Alabama connection included in the book are Dolester Miles’ Coconut Pecan Cake (the signature dessert at Chez Fonfon and Highlands Bar & Grill in Birmingham), Frank Stitt’s Peach Crostata (using Chilton County Red Havens), Henry Traeger’s Demopolis Turtleback Cookies, Marion Flexner’s Green Tomato Pie (her mother was Adele Kahn Weil of Montgomery, a nationally known Jewish cook and author in 1898 of The Twentieth Century Cookbook) and of course, the official state cake, Emma Rylander Lane’s
Prize Lane Cake.
Does Byrn have a favorite recipe from the book?
“From a nostalgic standpoint it’s the Nashville Chicken on Egg Bread,” she says, “an old turn of the century recipe made at a downtown restaurant, Kleeman’s. My mother loved it and she would make it.” As she traveled to promote the book, she talked with others who remembered that dish and that their own mother had the same recipe in her recipe box.
It confirmed what she’s always known: “Food has always been a conduit to bring us together and share something in common. It was fun letting recipes connect the dots for us in the South.”
Baking in the American South : 200 Recipes and Their Untold Stories by Anne Byrn, published by Harper Celebrate, 2024; $44.99. Available at your local bookstore or online retailers.
Anne Byrn is currently on a national tour for her book and will be at the Selma Dallas County Public Library Sept. 18. Follow her on Instagram and at annebyrn.com.
PHOTO BY DANIELLE ATKINS
Sauces,dips & dressings
Food prepared and photographed by Brooke Echols
When I fell in love with my Instant Pot it was because it made things quicker and easier! This marinara sauce is one of the first recipes I created especially for it. When I started The Buttered Home it was to share wonderful home-cooked goodness, the way our grandmothers cooked, but with a few shortcuts. This is a great example of a sauce that normally would take all day to make but the good old IP makes it faster without sacrificing flavor. For more recipes like this, visit us at www.thebutteredhome.com.
Instant Pot Marinara Sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 tablespoons minced or chopped garlic
2 28- ounce cans of crushed tomatoes
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup water
Potato flakes for thickening, if needed
2 tablespoons butter
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 tablespoons parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Add olive oil to the InstantPot and switch on the saute' function. When the oil is hot, add in the onions and garlic. Cook only until tender, paying careful attention not to burn the garlic. Switch the IP to off. Add in the cans of crushed tomatoes, rosemary, basil, red pepper flakes, parsley and water.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Close and seal the IP lid and set for 60 minutes. Natural pressure release when done and TASTE!
Note: My sauce was a bit thin so I added 2 tablespoons of potato flakes to thicken. Doing this does NOT produce any potato taste, but it just gives it a velvety consistency.
Finish with the 2 tablespoons of butter for a beautiful shine to the sauce.
Photo by The Buttered Home
Cook of the Month: Kim Johns, PowerSouth Energy Cooperative
When Kim Johns’ children were much younger, they often found themselves at family gatherings where their grandparents and great-grandmother (“Big Mama”) were present. A cookout was always accompanied by Big Mama’s special barbecue sauce.
“We ate it on every type of meat, including hamburgers, ribs, pork chops, Boston butt, or whatever food was on the menu that day,” says Kim, who won Cook of the Month honors this month for her sweet-tangy sauce. “Homemade barbecue sauce was also a staple at potluck dinners at our little country church.”
Kim says through the years, she came up with her own recipe “by combining the dear church ladies’ recipes and Big Mama’s recipe and tweaking them (just a tiny bit) to my own taste. I always think about those dear ladies when I make this sauce (they have since passed on, but their memories remain strong). Homemade barbecue sauce has become a favorite in our family, and I hope the tradition continues with my own grandchildren who will pass it down to their children.”
Barbecue Sauce
1 cup ketchup
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup vinegar
Sweet pickle juice, to taste
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Dash hot sauce
Dash salt and pepper
Mix all ingredients together in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook approximately 5 minutes. Let cool and place in container. Cook’s note: This sauce goes well with any type of meat. It is especially good on grilled hamburgers.
Ferg’s Sweet Honey Chicken Wing Sauce
1 12- ounce bottle Texas Pete Hot Sauce
1 stick unsalted butter
1 12-16- ounce bottle honey
Put all of the ingredients in a skillet (seasoned cast iron is the best). Turn on the stove to medium heat. Let all of the ingredients melt and combine throughly. Continue to cook on low heat while stirring every 1-2 minutes until time to sauce wings. Cook’s note: This is an awesome and easy recipe that’s been passed down for 2 generations. It’s a thin wing sauce for people who want a really saucy wing. At the same time, it could be used to add just a hint of flavor to a dry wing.
Luke Ferguson Tallapoosa River EC
Brooke Burks
Alligator Eyes (pictured above)
3-4 green onions, chopped
1 15.5- ounce can diced tomatoes, drained or 2-3 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 4- ounce can diced black olives
2 4.5- ounce cans diced green chilies
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1½ tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons oil
½ bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
1 tablespoon sugar or another sweetener
1 tablespoon fresh or dried cilantro, chopped
Mix all ingredients together and chill. Serve with chips.
Cook's note: If you use fresh tomatoes use about 3 roma tomatoes because they have less juice.
Linda Randolph Tallapoosa River EC
Butter Sauce for Seafood
½ pound butter, melted
1 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar
3 dashes tabasco, or to taste
Heat all ingredients until simmering. Serve with seafood.
Nancy Sites Sizemore
Baldwin EMC
Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
4 large strawberries, washed and hulled
Salt and pepper, to taste
Put all ingredients, except salt and pepper, in blender. Blend until all chopped and combined. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Keep refrigerated.
Sylvia Clark Baldwin EMC
Cajun Butter Sauce
2 sticks butter
½ teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon black pepper Pinch salt
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
In a medium saucepan, add butter and onions; sauté onions for 2 minutes, add minced garlic. While that sautés, chop fresh parsley and stir all other seasonings into saucepan. Once everything has come together over a slight boil, remove from heat. Add in parsley and serve over your favorite low country boil.
Sharlene Parker Baldwin EMC
Generational Wealth
Tips to Beat the Energy Peak
What does “beat the peak” mean, and why should I care about it?
When your electric cooperative talks about “beat the peak,” it is a call to action for energy consumers to reduce electricity use during periods of highest demand. Using less energy during peak times can ease the strain on the electric grid, benefit your cooperative and sometimes lower your electric bill.
Electricity generation and energy supply must match consumption in real time to ensure safe, reliable power. Every moment of every day, an entire workforce monitors energy use, adjusting power plant production up or down as needed to keep the grid balanced.
As energy demand grows, all of us can do our part to use less. To put this in perspective, peak electricity demand is expected to increase by 38 gigawatts over the next four years, according to the Energy Information Administration. That’s like adding another California to our nation’s power grid.
Typically, the price of power increases when demand is higher. Reducing your electric use during peak times can help lower market prices for everyone and lessen stress on the electric grid.
Electric cooperatives set electric rates to cover costs. Some utilities have time-of-use rates that reflect higher costs during peak demand periods. Whether you have time-of-use rates or not, these tips can help keep costs down for your utility and establish off-peak energy habits.
As a general rule, I try to spread out my use of equipment and appliances. For example, I avoid washing dishes and clothes, and cooking all at the same time. Running a lot of hot water will cause your water heater to use more energy, too.
dishwasher run time. My dishwasher, which is several years old, has a “delay start” button. This is also handy if your dishwasher is loud. Setting it to start after you go to bed shifts that energy consumption to off-peak hours, and you don’t have to hear it.
Peak time varies for each electric utility but typically occurs in the morning when people get ready for the day and in the evening when they return home from work and school. During these times, we turn on lights, cook, adjust the thermostat, run the dishwasher and do laundry — to name just a few energyconsuming activities.
Increasing the energy efficiency of your home can lower its impact on the grid. Weatherize windows and doors and add insulation to improve the comfort of your home. You can also consider upgrading to energy efficient appliances or using energy-saving features on your existing appliances.
If you haven’t already, switch your incandescent lighting to LEDs, which use at least 75% less electricity and last up to 25 times longer, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. There are many affordable options on the market.
Schedule your
Running your washing machine and dryer during off-peak hours can help, too. If you’re in the market for a new washer or dryer, look for a model with a high Integrated Modified Energy Factor and a low Integrated Water Factor to save water and energy. Also, consider switching your charging habits for all devices to offpeak hours. If you have an electric vehicle, use the scheduled charge settings. You’ll plug in your vehicle when you get home, and it will start charging automatically during the offpeak hours you choose.
Small changes at home can make a big difference to the energy grid. Incorporate these energy-wise habits into your daily routine.
Miranda Boutelle is the chief operating officer at Efficiency Services Group in Oregon, a cooperatively owned energy efficiency company. She has more than 20 years of experience helping people save energy at home, and she writes on energy efficiency topics for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the national trade association representing nearly 900 electric co-ops.
As energy demand continues to rise, find ways to use less energy during peak times to ease the strain on the electric grid.
PHOTO COURTESY
Crustacean
Catching Handlining for crabs can provide incredible family fun
Afamily crabbing adventure can make great memories as well as provide delicious meals for little cost.
People can find many places to catch blue crabs along coastal Alabama. Crabs can live in fresh water, but thrive best in brackish to salty environments. Some people even reported catching the crustaceans as far up the Alabama River as Montgomery.
Many people catch crabs in nets or traps, but for the most family fun, try handlining. This doesn’t require much investment. Buy some heavy cord, a wide scoop net with a long handle and small mesh plus something to hold the catch.
Cut lines long enough to reach the bottom with plenty of slack. Tie one end to an immobile or heavy object and bait the other end. Bait doesn’t need to break the bank either. Crabs eat practically anything. They readily devour any meats, but avoid soft baits like hot dogs or liver because crabs tear them apart easily. A few packs of chicken necks can provide family fun all day.
Any sloping shoreline, low dock or seawall makes a great place to run crab lines. Almost like fishing, throw the baited line into the water. When crabs take bait in their claws, they attempt to haul it away from their armored cousins.
When a crab stretches the line, place the scoop net in the water under the line. Pull the line slowly toward the net and up to the surface as the greedy crab clings to the bait. When the crab goes over the net, scoop it from under and behind because a crab will instinctively scoot backwards when alarmed.
Plop the crab into a sturdy container, like an ice chest. Cover the top to keep crabs cool and out of direct sunlight. Allow air to circulate in the container. Crabs can breathe air or water. Keep crabs moist, but not submerged unless using an aerator because crabs can quickly consume all the oxygen in the water and die.
Encased in its shell and protected by two ominously sharp claws, crabs don’t spook easily. Children can make noise, explore the shoreline and enjoy being kids. Let the children work the lines. If they miss a crab, so what. Other crabs will come around, but children remain small for such a short time. Catching good memories far outweighs catching another crab.
Immediately release all “berry crabs,” females carrying eggs. She carries her eggs or young under her abdomen. Get her back into the water unharmed as fast as possible because she’s carrying future generations. Crabs must reproduce prolifically because so many things want to eat them.
In my teen years, a neighbor once asked me to take her and her children crabbing. We headed to my favorite crabbing spot, an old
wooden platform over the water next to a small shell beach. An unusually high tide covered the platform with about two inches of water.
After getting the ladies set up with their lines and baits, I decided to fish and threw a cast net for bait. I caught a small bluegill and showed the fish to my neighbor’s youngest son.
As I showed the fish to the boy, one of the ladies started pulling in a crab line with something much bigger than a crab on the line. When she prepared to scoop the “crab,” about a 7-foot-long alligator garfish vaulted from the water almost at the feet of the ladies standing on the wet platform.
When the screaming level reached the decibel level of jet fighters taking off, the young boy holding the small fish dropped it onto the partially submerged platform where the women were standing in two inches of water. Without enough water to swim upright, the fish flopped around the ladies’ bare feet trying to make a hasty escape.
More screaming immediately ensued as the women attempted to climb onto each other’s shoulders while uttering extremely loud, high-pitched tones, and some expressions directed at me not fit to print here. Apparently, the entire episode was my fault!
Handlining crabs can keep people busy on a warm day and make great family memories. Later, fresh boiled crabs can feed the family plus some friends to cap off a wonderful day of crustacean catching.
John N. Felsher is a professional freelance writer who
The Moon Clock and resulting Moon Times were developed 40 years ago by Doug Hannon, one of America’s most trusted wildlife experts and a tireless inventor. The Moon Clock is produced by DataSport, Inc. of Atlanta, GA, a company specializing in wildlife activity time prediction. To order the 2023 Moon Clock, go to www.moontimes.com.
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Pick up your card at Coosa Valley Electric Cooperative’s offices, set up an account at connections.coop or download the Co-op Connections app today!
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Beat the Heat Efficiently
Tips to Keep Your Home — and Energy Bill — Cool
As temperatures begin to rise, so can your energy bill. Following these tips will help your home stay comfortable without sinking your bank account.
Air Conditioning is Key: Set your thermostat to 78 when you are home, and even higher when you are away. When at home, use ceiling fans to circulate the air, which will make it feel cooler without overworking your air conditioning unit. Have your air condition system serviced routinely, and regularly clean or replace your air filters to prevent unnecessary strain on your system.
Block the Sun: Close blinds or curtains during the hottest parts of the day, especially on windows facing the sun. Blackout curtains and reflective window films can further reduce heat intrusion.
Cook Smart: Opt for outdoor grilling, slow cookers, or microwave meals instead of using the oven. If you must use the stove, cook during cooler hours, like early morning or late evening.
Devices and Appliances — Unplug and Upgrade: Electronics generate heat, so unplug them when not in use. Implement energy-efficient appliances that use less power and generate minimal excess heat.
Electronic Tools at your Fingertips: Visit coosavalleyec.com today to learn more tips and tools that can keep your energy bills lower. A variety of calculators allow you to put in key information about your home and appliances before generating suggestions that can improve your home’s efficiency. Also view tips from Touchstone Energy that can make your summer even more comfortable and less expensive!
Keep Us Updated! If your contact information, especially your primary phone number, has changed please let us know! Having an updated phone number on file helps improve our outage response time. Also having an updated number and e-mail address ensures you receive important messages from us during critical times.
To update your information on file, call 800-273-7210 during business hours and speak with a member services representative.
Memories
Psychologists often recommend patients facing troubling circumstances or difficult decisions to focus on pleasant experiences or good memories to reduce the stress of the situation. I have many great memories that I have visited over the years to calm my nerves or make me feel a sense of peace and comfort.
My mom was raised on a farm. Her family was land-poor. She was raised without running water or electricity. By the time I came along we had a little more, but not much. Until I was six years old, we lived in a small two-bedroom house that my Dad was born in. The only heat was an oil-fired floor furnace in the dining room. It kept the dining room hot, but the rest of the house was cold, especially the bathroom that had been added onto by closing in the back porch. The floor furnace would burn your feet if you walked on it barefoot. We had no air conditioning, and the house was cooled in the summer by a large window fan which blew air out the back bedroom window and sucked air in the rest of the windows.
I slept in the front bedroom, which had a window and a door that opened to the front porch. One of my first memories is of lying in the big poster bed and watching the window sheers dance into the bedroom. I was cooled by the night air and comforted by the peaceful movement of the sheers and the lack of any other burdens of life. I was perfectly contented.
and thinking how great it would be to have that cool feeling all the time at home. I’m not sure I have ever been that cool again.
We shopped for bread at the Wonder Bread Day Old Bread Store on North Polk Street in Corinth. The store carried day-old bread and pastries. Mom would generally tell my brother and me that we didn’t have money for the sweets. However, one day she gave us both a nickel and told us we could get whatever we wanted, so long as it only cost a nickel. I passed on the Twinkies and picked a cake with light green icing in a cellophane wrapper. It was wonderful. It melted in my mouth. I still compare anything good to eat with the wonderful flavor of that green cake. I don’t think, after all these years, I have ever tasted anything that good.
Another memory was formed in the same bedroom. I was scared by something I thought I heard and called for mom to stay in bed with me. The noise that bothered me was the beat of my pulse in my ears. Mom told me, in a comforting voice, that the noise was from angels walking on the roof. She also told me that angels walked on her roof when she was a little girl, and those same angels were still on our roof to protect me from anything that might hurt me. At times, I still hear my pulse in my ears and am comforted by memories of my mom and the angels walking on the roof to protect us.
Without air-conditioning, summer days were stifling. To get some relief, many people would go to town just to walk around stores that had good ventilation or, better yet, were air-conditioned. I first noticed air-conditioning at about the age of five in the front lobby of the JCPenney store in Corinth, Mississippi. I still remember how cold the store was
We moved to a new house when I was six. We were really uptown, with central heat and air-conditioning (although the heating unit didn’t work very well). However, it was cool on those summer days. We had a television but only received two and a half channels, since we could only get Channel 13 out of Memphis about half the time. With little television, we listened to the box radio on the night stand in mom and dad’s room. Nothing was better on a hot afternoon or early summer evening than lying on the floor in front of that old radio, listening to the St. Louis Cardinals on WCMA, our local radio station. The distinctive voices of Harry Caray and Jack Buck are still in my head. By the way, the Cardinals beat the mighty Yankees to win the 1964 World Series. Finally, it seemed like mom was always in the kitchen cooking something. Our kitchen was very small, with a table and four chairs tucked into a corner. The chairs wouldn’t fit behind the table so if we were all together, which was not often, mom would eat standing up beside the stove. Mom always made sure we had something to eat. It was what people would call farm food today, but it was good and filling. All the kids in the neighborhood were always welcome at her table. Having someone taking care of the basics in life was a wonderful life lesson for me, and I enjoy remembering how good the little things of life are.
I hope you have similar memories that take you back to the good places and the good people in your life.
Have a good month.
Gary Smith is President and CEO of PowerSouth Energy Cooperative.
How To Place an Ad in Marketplace
Closing Deadlines (in our office): July 2025 Issue by May 25
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Ads are $1.75 per word with a 10 word minimum and are on a prepaid basis; Telephone numbers, email addresses and websites are considered 1 word each. Ads will not be taken over the phone. You may email your ad to hdutton@areapower.com; or call (800)410-2737 ask for Heather for pricing.; We accept checks, money orders and all major credit cards. Mail ad submission along with a check or money order made payable to ALABAMA LIVING, P.O. Box 244014, Montgomery, AL 36124 – Attn: Classifieds.
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Drive-In Movies: Get in the Trunk!
Iwould guess most kids growing up today wouldn’t want anything that their parents had. We had three channels. They have about 300. We barely had black and white TV. They have color and high def. We had one home phone that was tethered to the wall with a cord. They have one on their wrist that goes anywhere.
But, we had one thing that I’m sure much of this generation is missing out on: the drive-in movie.
What a wonderful thing it was, watching a motion picture under a starry sky while in the comfort of your own car. Rows of cars and speakers facing a giant silver screen. Being indoors and outdoors at the same time.
As a child, going to the drive-in was a major event. My sister and I would put on our pajamas (the kind with sewn-in feet), get blankets and pillows, and head for the back seat of our 1963 Chevy Impala. Mom popped a copious amount of popcorn and placed it in a brown paper grocery bag. No need to buy those high-priced snacks from the concession stand.
My father would carefully find the parking spot that would give us the best possible viewing angle of the screen. Finally, he attached the car speaker in our window so that the sound, which was tinny and somewhat irritating, properly flooded the interior.
Most of the movies were first-run and carefully vetted by my mom for proper content. For example, “Son of Flubber,” or “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” would certainly get the mother stamp of approval. An Elvis film like “Fun in Acapulco” was iffy, and a James Bond movie like “Dr. No” was a certain no-no for obvious reasons. That really didn’t matter much to us because sister and I rarely made it through the entire film without falling asleep. That meant my parents had a semblance of a date night, even if it was only 90 minutes or so.
A few years later, the drive-in became a cheap source of entertainment for me and my high school buddies. Every weekend, cars full of teenagers would flock to the place, including several who were hiding in the trunk to get out of paying the outrageous $1.25 admission. Sometimes as many as four people were crammed inside. One friend who worked at the drive-in years ago said, “I can’t tell you the number of times a car with one person pulled up to the gate, told me they were alone, and handed me $1.25. When they drove in, I noticed that the rear bumper was almost touching the ground.” We were lucky no one was asphyxiated.
The drive-in was also a prized location to take a date. Once I took a date to the drive-in to see “The Ten Commandments.” The opening credits had barely finished running when she turned and planted one on me. We didn’t come up for air until Moses parted the Red Sea.
Think that’s over the top? I have a buddy who frequented the drive-in throughout high school. He said once they showed the same movie for over three months, and he still went to see it every weekend. Apparently his girlfriend felt safer there rather than being parked on some deserted road in the middle of nowhere. He can’t recall what the movie was. That’s because he wasn’t watching the film.
In fact, he even had a special parking spot. To be sure they weren’t disturbed, he pulled beside a row of tall hedges on the driver’s side of his car. And for complete privacy, he cut the wires of the car speakers beside the passenger side, ensuring that no cars would park near him.
Fortunately, there are still a few hundred drive-ins scattered over the country. In fact, several still operate in Alabama. So, if you’re feeling nostalgic, take a short drive, pay the admission, and don’t hide anyone in the trunk. Then relax, and watch a movie in an old-fashioned way. Don’t forget to bring along a giant bag of popcorn. And be sure not to park beside that car that’s near the hedges. Those speakers may not work.
Illustration by Dennis Auth
— Gene H.
Tactical Meets Practical
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Precision Takes Time
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July recipe theme: Apples!
See Page 36
CaNesha’s
ReTreet Journey
FINDING SELF-CARE IN THE HILLS OF NORTH ALABAMA
Escape to 40 Acres of Natural Luxury: Choose from 21 Stunning Resort-Style bungalows—Treehouses, Glamping Tents, Cozy Cottages, & Two-Bedroom Cabins with Breathtaking Lake Guntersville Views.
expect was how deeply it would change her life.
“My stays at ReTreet transform me from head to toe,” she says. “By the time I arrive, I’m usually not in a great headspace. But as soon as I pull in, everything shifts.”
After losing her father, CaNesha found herself overwhelmed—grieving, anxious, and creatively drained. Searching for peace, she booked a stay at ReTreet Resort & Spa, a nature-inspired escape tucked away near Lake Guntersville. What she didn’t expect was how deeply it would change her life. “My stays at ReTreet transform me from head to toe,” she says. “By the time I arrive, I’m usually not in a great headspace. But as soon as I pull in, everything shifts.”
Her first visit included a cozy Tiny House, soulclearing hikes, the resort’s Nordic cold plunge, breakfast delivered to her door, and evenings spent watching Reba, her “emotional support TV show.” Every detail allowed her to slow down, breathe, and reconnect—with herself and her creativity.
Her first visit included a cozy Tiny House, soulclearing hikes, the resort’s Nordic cold plunge, breakfast delivered to her door, and evenings spent watching Reba, her “emotional support TV show.” Every detail allowed her to slow down, breathe, and reconnect—with herself and her creativity. “For me, self-care means letting go of everything— responsibilities, pressure, expectations. ReTreet gives me that space.” Whether
“For me, self-care means letting go of everything— responsibilities, pressure, expectations. ReTreet gives me that space.”
Curious how a stay at ReTreet helped CaNesha heal, recharge, and reconnect with herself? Scan below to read her full story—and see how ReTreet creates space for peace, creativity, and self-care.
Whether it’s morning coffee on the porch, sunset views, or even joyrides in a golf cart, CaNesha now makes ReTreet part of her healing journey. READ
